I have had a new SMP for a few months now. It's running at the fast end of "acceptable", gaining about 6 seconds per day. I'm one of those tinkerer type guys who have built car engines and fixed all sorts of things in my life. I'm inclined to want to crack the case and try to dial it in a bit. Is there an easy fix to slow it down just a bit?

Am I in over my head? Should I just leave well enough alone?? Or is there an easy fix for us tinkerer types???

Any good advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Tom.

 

Watch could be magnetized, it would be a reason why your watch is running fast. I believe you can go to the OB to get it demagnetized. As for opening it up and tinkering with it, unless you have the experience and now how, don't even attempt it. The gasket needs to be replaced once you open the case back.

 

+6 secs is inside COSC standards, I would leave it alone.

My SMPc has been running +4 and it doesn't bother me.

 

Yeah... I've just knocked it back a minute every week or so. But my tinkering mind wonders if I couldn't crack the case and make it "better."

 

Watchmakers love folks who try to fix or adjust their own watches! Give it a shot!

 

Somehow I think your comment is meant to cost me some $$$.

 

Your previous tinkering experience has very little relevance to the task you are considering. This watch has a free sprung balance, and is adjusted by turning two small screws with a specialized wrench. Those screws are on the balance, and the balance can't be moved in the wrong direction at the wrong time, since this is a co-axial escapement. If you do move it incorrectly you will damage the co-axial wheel and pallet fork, if you don't damage the balance or balance spring first. You also need to have the correct tool, which I'm guessing you don't have already.

If you somehow manage to turn these screws without trashing the movement, they have to be turned exactly the same amount, or you will introduce a poise error that will cause positional variations in all the vertical positions.

The chances of someone with no experience working on watches doing this successfully are pretty much zero.

My advice is to take it to a watchmaker who has been trained by Omega directly on the servicing of co-axial escape the watches. It will be least expensive way to get this adjustment done...

Cheers, Al

 

THAT is exactly the advice I was seeking. Thank you.

I wasn't sure if it was merely a simple "crack it open and turn a screw" or what you described.

I'll enjoy my watch and simply reset it weekly knowing what I now know.

Thank you,
Tom.

 

The other option...

Try leaving it laying down in different positions each night. Watches keep different time in different positions.

 

Yeah... I've played with that after reading this elsewhere. Seems as if no matter what I do it gains about 6 seconds per day. Considering the number of ticks in a day that's pretty good, but I'm one of "those guys" who always wants it to be just a bit better. I'm guessing I'd be asking the same question if it were only gaining two seconds per day.

 

Be glad it's not losing a few seconds a day, much harder to set

 

Yeah. I've gotten into the habit of just pulling the crown and waiting for it to get behind by a half a minute. Then it catches up and passes over the period of a week.